Delhi, parts of Punjab, Haryana to get monsoonal rain only by July: IMD

IMD on Thursday revealed that Delhi and parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan will have to wait till July for the first monsoonal rains.

Representational Image (Credits: PTI)

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday (June 24, 2021) said that Delhi and parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan will have to wait till July for the first monsoonal rains. The IMD officials revealed that as per the latest weather trends the wind system is unlikely to cover the region in the next seven days. The Met department also added that the northern limit of the southwest monsoon currently passes through Barmer, Bhilwara, Dholpur, Aligarh, Meerut, Ambala and Amritsar.

"Present meteorological conditions and model forecasts indicate that large-scale features, as well as the prevailing wind patterns over the region, are not likely to be favourable during the next one week for further advance of the southwest monsoon into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab," the IMD said in a statement.

IMD also added that isolated light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is very likely over most parts of northwest India in the week ending June 30.

The weather department also said India has received 28 percent excess rainfall during the monsoon season so far.

“The country measured 145.8 mm precipitation against the normal of 114.2 mm till June 23,” IMD said.

The Met department officials predicted that the maximum temperatures are likely to rise by two to three degrees Celsius over most parts of northwest and the adjoining central India in the absence of significant rain.

"Heatwave conditions are unlikely over any parts of the country. However, due to higher temperatures and high humidity, there will be discomfort over northwest India during the week," IMD said.

The monsoons have covered the country, even though it arrived two days late in the southern state, Kerala. 

Earlier, in early June, the weather department had predicted that the monsoons would arrive in the national capital 12 days early, on June 15, as per the movement of the wind system.

However, westerly winds persisting in northwest India have been blocking the wind system. These are expected to prevail till June-end, according to Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre.

Normally, the monsoon reaches Delhi by June 27 and covers the entire country by July 8.

(With PTI inputs)